Standing in front of her late husband's co-workers at a Southfield road commission garage, Roshanda Jones did not mince words. The widow of Oakland County road worker Cedric Jones, who was killed in a Farmington Hills work zone last summer, pleaded with drivers Tuesday to slow down and pay closer attention whenever they see crews on the roadside.
Her message, delivered during National Work Zone Awareness Week, was as blunt as it was personal: an ordinary drive can turn deadly in seconds when drivers treat work zones like just another stretch of open road.
Jones spoke at a safety event where family members, co-workers and agency officials gathered at the Road Commission for Oakland County's Southfield garage to remember Cedric Jones and push for safer behavior around road crews, as reported by WXYZ. The commission had formally dedicated that Southfield garage to Cedric Jones in November, according to the Road Commission for Oakland County.
How the crash unfolded
Farmington Hills police say the fatal collision happened on July 23, 2025, when a southbound SUV crossed the median on Orchard Lake Road and slammed into a three-person crew working on sewer repairs, killing 43-year-old Cedric Jones and seriously injuring two colleagues, according to a Farmington Hills Police Department press release. A police report reviewed by ClickOnDetroit notes tire marks leading from a turnaround lane and states that the crew's vehicles were properly signed and parked.
Survivors' recovery
Two co-workers, identified in the police release as George Thomas and Robert Dinkins, survived but were badly hurt. Dinkins told WXYZ he spent weeks in the hospital, lost his leg below the knee and suffered multiple broken bones. He said he never expected to come to work and end up in the hospital.
MLive reported that Dinkins told reporters his medical bills are about $1 million and that he has applied for disability benefits.
Legal status
Farmington Hills police say 59-year-old Kimberly Taylor was arrested and arraigned on November 19, 2025, on one felony count of Moving Violation Causing Death in a Work Zone and two misdemeanor counts of Moving Violation Causing Injury in a Work Zone, according to the Farmington Hills Police Department press release. She was released on a $5,000 personal bond. FOX2 Detroit notes the felony charge carries up to 15 years in prison if she is convicted and that hearings in the case are still ongoing.
What officials are doing
The Road Commission for Oakland County says it has stepped up safety outreach in the wake of the crash. Managing director Dennis G. Kolar told MLive the commission has increased work zone safety posts on social media to multiple times per week.
State and federal transportation partners used National Work Zone Awareness Week to amplify that same plea. The Michigan Department of Transportation's event page offers campaign materials and reminders such as "Go Orange" and, above all, slow down in work zones to protect crews, according to MDOT.
For Jones and other families, the ceremonies are a pointed reminder that safety depends on habits as much as policy. She told officials she has volunteered to help improve worker safety and urged drivers to remember that every work zone is someone's workplace. Officials say they hope the renewed attention will translate into fewer grieving families and more workers making it home from Michigan roads.
